Adjustable slant drawing board stand



June 3, 1958 H. w. CLARK 2,337,391

ADJUSTABLE SLANT DRAWING BOARD STAND Filed Oct. 10, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet1 IN V EN TOR.

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4 TTOEAQW ADJUSTABLE SLANT DRAWING BOARD STAND Homer W. Clark, Seattle,Wash. Application October 10, 1955, Serial No. 539,306

4 Claims. (Cl. 311-38) The present application relates to a foldingdrawing board stand which can be adjusted readily to support the drawingboard in different slanting positions according to the changing desiresof an artist.

A principal object is to provide such an adjustable slant drawing boardstand which can be adjusted quickly to support a drawing board invarious slanting positions, but will enable the slant of the drawingboard to be changed temporarily without adjustment of the stand.

In providing such an adjustable drawing board stand it is an object tosupport the drawing board stably in all adjusted positions of the standso that it will support the drawing board firmly despite reasonablepressures of drawing or painting which may be exerted on it.

Another object is to provide such a stand which can be adjusted not onlyto vary the angle, but also to alter the height of the drawing boardwithin a considerable range.

For storage purposes it is an object to provide such an adjustabledrawing board stand which can be folded into a compact, fiat package,either by itself or with a drawing board attached to it.

The preferred type of drawing board stand shown in the accompanyingdrawings incorporates adjustable cross-legged supporting structure, thelegs of which are pivoted to enable their angles to be changed.Generally the closer together the lower ends of the legs are held, thehigher the drawing board will be positioned, and adjustable tie meansare provided to limit spreading of the lower ends of the legs. A crossmember permanently interconnects a leg of one pivoted pair with thecorresponding leg of the other pivoted pair at a location spaced asubstantial distance from the axis of the pivot and serves as a drawingboard rest. Independent legs are pivoted to such interconnected legs,and movement of the independent legs relative to the interconnected legsin the two pairs is coordinated by a U-shaped yoke telescopicallyconnected with such independent legs. This yoke carn'es drawing boardedge gripping means operable to support an edge on the drawing boardfrom the yoke. The slant of the drawing board is adjusted by varying thetelescoping relationship between the yoke and the independent legs andby changing the angle between the crossed legs.

Figure 1 is a top perspective view of the stand supporting a drawingboard.

Figure 2 is a detail sectional view through a portion of the stand takenon line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the stand showing the drawing board insection and disposed in horizontal position. Figures 4, and 6 aresimilar views but showing the stand and drawing board in ditterentadjusted positions.

Figure 7 is a detail view taken on line 77 of Figure 1, parts beingbroken away to disclose internal construction.

The drawing board stand is of the folding, cross-legged type, andincludes two pairs of crossed legs. The stand nite States ar preferablyis made of metal tubular material which may be of aluminum, stainlesssteel or similar material.

A connecting tubular member 1 interconnects in permanent fashion thecorresponding legs 2 of the pairs of crossed legs. The other legs 3 ofthe crossed pairs are constructed independently of each other and eachleg 3 is pivotally connected to the other leg 2 of its crosslegged pairby the pivot rod 4. As shown best in Figure 6, the length of each leg 3between its lower end and pivot 4 is considerably greater than thelength of that portion of each leg 2 between such pivot and its lowerend.

Preferably the upper end of each leg 3 terminates at a location adjacentto pivot 4, which end is open. With this end is telescopingly engagedone end element 5 of a U-shaped yoke, including the crossbar 6 whichinterconnects the end elements 5 extending perpendicular to suchcrossbar. The end portions 5 may, for example, slide within the upperends of the legs 3, which are reinforced by an encircling collar 7 towhich the pivot 4 may be threadediy connected as shown in Figure 7. Thetelescoping members 3 and 5 can be held in any desired adjusted positionby a set screw 8 having a thumb screw type of head which may be turnedeasily by hand, such as a knurled head as shown or a wing head.

The spread of the lower portions of thelegs 2 and 3 can be limited toany desired degree by a tie member adjustable in effective length, suchas a chain 9, which has one end 10 fixed to one leg, such as the leg 3,and its 7 other end portion 11 extending through an aperture in theother leg, 12, which may be of a shape to enable an intermediate portionof the chain to be caught readily in it. An appropriate stop, such asthe washer 13, secured to the end of the chain will prevent this endfrom being pulled through the aperture 12.

On this stand the drawing board 14 of any suitable construction can bemounted. While enabling the stand and board to be adjusted to vary theslant of the stand, it is desirable for the board to be anchored to thestand so that it cannot inadvertently fall off the stand. For thispurpose board edge gripping means may be utilized in the form of achannel-shaped socket 15 carried by the crossbar 6 of the yoke. Thissocket can be secured to the yoke by a bolt 16 screwed into the crossbar6, as shown in Figure 2, and which passes through an arcuate slot 17 inthe web portion of the socket 15.

The flanges of the channel-shaped socket 15 should be spaced apart aslightly greater distance than the thickness of the drawing board edge.The edge can then he slipped readily into the-socket, whereupon theflanges of the socket channel can be pinched into firm grippingengagement with the edge of the drawing board by tightening wing nuts 18of clamping bolts 19. Two of such bolts, located respectively nearopposite ends of the channel socket, should be suflicient. Engagement ofthe bolt 16 in the slot 17 permits swinging of the drawing board and itssocket through an adequate angle relative to the cross member 6 of theyoke interconnecting legs 3.

While the stand described can be utilized to support a drawing board fordiiierent purposes, it is particularly useful for water color work. 1 Infact, the drawing board 14 shown is peculiarly suitable for such workbecause it includes movable marginal angle members 20 which can betightened against the edges of the board by wing nuts 21 for the purposeof clamping the edges of paper on which the drawing is to be made sothat it can be drawn tight by being moistened to shrink it.

In normal use the drawing board stand might be employed at the slantshown in Figures 1 and 5. In this position the yoke 5, 6 is Withdrawn asubstantial distance from the interior of the legs 3, but its crossmember 6 is considerably lower than the interconnecting member 1 whichjoins the other legs 2. The back of the drawing board will then bear onthis crossbar, but it will not be secured to the crossbar. If the artistwishes temporarily to increase the slant of the drawing board, therefore, he may merely grasp its upper edge and swing it into the brokenline position illustrated in Figure 5, for example. While the channelsocket will prevent the board from falling off the stand, it will notprevent the board from being swung freely in this fashion.

If it should be desired to hold the board for a substantial period oftime at an increased slant, the yoke holding set screws 8 may beloosened and end portions 5 may he slid into the hollow legs 3 until theprojection is reduced to the degree shown in Figure 4, for example. Ifthe spread of the legs 2 and 3 is then reduced by shortening the tiechains 9, as indicated in Figure 4, the slope of the legs 2 will beincreased greatly so that when resting against the cross member 1 thedrawing board may be almost in an upright position as shown in Figure 4.The reason for the legs 3 between the pivot 4 and their lower ends beinglonger than the portion of legs 2 between such pivot and their lowerends will be apparent from Figure 4. Despite the substantially uprightposition of legs 2, the legs 3 extend a substantial distance rearward tobrace the stand against the force of a rearward push on the board 2%.Moreover, the pivot 4 is located approximately beneath the center of theboard so that it is stably supported.

Alternatively, if it is desired to reduce the slant of the drawingboard, the set screws 8 will be loosened and the end portions 5 will bepulled outwardly to lengthen the projecting portion of the yoke. Thismovement may be continued until the projection of the yoke actually isgreater than the length of the legs 2 above pivot 4. At the same time,the length of tie chains 9 may be increased as indicated in Figure 3,but by adjustment of the yoke and the chains 9, the board may actuallybe lowered into horizontal position. Even in this position the height ofthe board may be varied to some extent by changing the spacing of thelower ends of the legs.

When it is desired to store the drawing board and stand, its pivotedlegs may be folded together as shown in Figure 6, and the drawing boardeither may be removed from the clamping socket 15 by loosening the wingnuts 18, or it may be swung into a position substantially coplanar withthe legs 2 and 3 as shown in Figure 6. In this condition the stand isvery compact for storage.

I claim as my invention:

1. An adjustable drawing board stand comprising two pairs of crossedlegs, corresponding legs of said pairs being adjustable in efiectivelength, pivot means connecting the crossed legs of each pair at fixedlocations, said leg pairs being spaced apart lengthwise of their pivotaxes, a drawing board, anchoring means secured to said drawing board andtiltably carried by two corresponding legs, one of each of said pairs ofcrossed legs, a. drawing board rest carried by the other twocorresponding legs, one of each of said pairs of crossed legs, andslidably engageable with various portions of said drawing board betweenopposite edges thereof, and adjustable means securing said legs in aselected angular relationship to establish and maintain any selectedspacing of various possible spacings between said drawing boardanohoring means and said drawing board rest to support said drawingboard in a desired tilted position.

2. An adjustable drawing board stand comprising a drawing board, achannel socket of a length substantially equal to the length of an edgeof said drawing board and having such board edge received therein,clamping means carried by said channel socket and clamping the edge ofsaid drawing board received therein, two pairs of pivotal crossed legsspaced lengthwise of their pivot axes, corresponding legs of said pairsbeing adjustable in effective length, means tiltably mounting saidchannel socket on two corresponding legs, one of each of said pairs ofcrossed legs, and a drawing board rest carried by the other twocorresponding legs, one of each of said pairs of crossed legs, andslidably engaging the back of said drawing board at a locationintermediately between its edge received in said channel socket and theopposite edge of said drawing board.

3. An adjustable drawing board stand comprising a cross memberconstituting a drawing board rest, two legs rigidly interconnected bysaid cross member, two independent legs, pivots connecting saidindependent legs to said interconnected legs for relative swinging ofsaid two independent legs relative to said interconnected legs about thesame axis, said independent legs between their lower ends and saidpivots being substantially longer than the portions of saidinterconnected legs between their lower ends and said pivots, a U-shapedyoke having its opposite end portions telescopically engaged with theupper ends of said independent legs, a drawing board slidably engagingsaid drawing board rest, a channel socket having an edge of said drawingboard received therein, clamping means carried by said channel socketand clamping the edge of said drawing board received therein, meanstiltably mounting said channel socket on the central portion of saidyoke, and adjustable means securing said interconnected legs and saidindependent legs in selected angular relationship to establish andmaintain any selected spacing of various possible spacings between saidchannel socket and said drawing board rest to support said drawing boardin a desired tilted position.

4. An adjustable drawing board stand comprising two pairs of crossedlegs, corresponding straight legs of said pairs being telescopicallyadjustable in effective length while being maintained straight, pivotmeans connecting the crossed legs of each pair at fixed locations, saidleg pairs being spaced apart lengthwise of their pivot axes, a drawingboard, anchoring means secured to said draw ing board and tiltablycarried by two corresponding legs, one of each of said pairs of crossedlegs, and a drawing board rest carried by the other two correspondinglegs, one of each of said pairs of crossed legs, and slidably engageablewith various portions of said drawing board between opposite edgesthereof, to support said drawing board in a desired tilted position.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS527,017 Fry Oct. 2, 1894 785,147 Barnett Mar. 21, 1905 836,551 WernerNov. 20, 1906 1,142,673 Cozzens June 8, 1915 1,462,615 Noble July 24,1923 1,975,857 McKenney Oct. 19, 1934 1,990,032 Johnson Feb. 5, 19352,514,735 Wilson et al. July 11, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 9,141 SwitzerlandSept. 25, 1894 16,864 Great Britain 1899

